Learn Bandweaving Basics—or Expand Your Repertoire

During my almost 15 years at Handwoven and 10 years at Easy Weaving with Little Looms, I’ve tried many different styles of weaving on a variety of loom types. While I love all my looms equally, lately I find myself doing a lot of bandweaving. I’m not alone, either—I’ve noticed an uptick in interest in bandweaving at all levels, from people who want to learn the basics to experienced weavers hungry for more advanced techniques.

If you have an inkling that you might want to try inkle or tablet weaving, or if you want to expand your current bandweaving repertoire, we have a class for you at Weave Together 2026, our annual weaving retreat featuring three full days of weaving classes. It will take place in Loveland, Colorado on March 8–12, 2026.

Inkle vs. Tablet: What’s the Difference?

If you’re new to bandweaving, it’s helpful to understand the difference between inkle and tablet weaving (which is also sometimes called card weaving).

Inkle weaving is done on an inkle loom and requires either string heddles or a rigid heddle to change sheds. It may or may not also involve pick-up.

Tablet weaving, which can also be done on an inkle loom, uses a set of weaving tablets to change sheds. Each tablet has a set number of holes, usually at the corners. Warp ends are threaded in a certain order through these holes, and the shed is changed by turning the cards. In the simplest designs, you turn all the cards together alternating going forward and backward the same number of times—i.e., forward, forward, backward, backward, repeat.

We have intro-level classes at Weave Together for both inkle and tablet weaving—and they’re conveniently on different days so you can take both. Even better, they’re taught by two truly incredible weavers and teachers: Annie MacHale (for inkle) and John Mullarkey (for tablet). You’ll learn all the basics—warping, reading drafts, weaving the cloth—as well tips and tricks Annie and John have learned over their decades of weaving.

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Next-Level Bandweaving

Beyond Plain Weave

Want to go beyond basic inkle weaving? Consider one of my current favorite structures, speckled pick-up (also known as Baltic-style pick-up), below left. My first glimpse of speckled pick-up made me think of turned overshot. The beautiful designs are created by manipulating the pattern ends with each pick. While I realize that a structure with so much pick-up isn’t for everyone, I personally love its hands-on nature—and I didn’t find it much more complicated than weaving plain weave on the inkle loom.

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If you’re already comfortable weaving Baltic pick-up, Annie MacHale is also teaching her popular three-color pick-up class, at right. An advanced variation of speckled pick-up, three-color pick-up relies on picking up threads while alternating colors to create more colorful—and more complex—motifs.

Tablet Weaving 102

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When it comes to next steps in tablet weaving, John Mullarky has you covered with classes on Anglo-Saxon style weaving (above left) and Sulawesi style weaving (above right). In the Anglo-Saxon class you’ll learn a technique from the 5th century CE that results in a thick, reversible band. Originally from Indonesia, Sulawesi-style tablet weaving allows you to create some truly incredible and complex designs. In this class, you’ll learn not only how to read and weave Sulawesi patterns, but also how to design your own.

Both of these classes are suitable for advanced beginners, so if you’re planning on taking John’s intro class, you’ll be ready to take either (or both!) of his more advanced classes.

Other Weaving Classes

While you can fill your class schedule with nothing but bandweaving, Weave Together 2026 also has classes for multi-shaft, rigid-heddle, tapestry, and pin looms.

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Dorothy Tuthill will be teaching a round-robin deep dive into shadow weave on the multi-shaft loom.

Angela K. Schneider will have you weaving a scarf in a day in her beginner-friendly multi-shaft class—no warping required.

Angela Tong is an expert on pin-loom and rigid-heddle weaving, and she’ll be teaching classes in both.

Sara Goldenberg White and Stephanie Flynn will be offering classes on rigid-heddle weaving techniques including pick-up, hand-manipulation, and even krokbragd! If you’re curious about tapestry weaving, check out Sara’s single-day Intro to Tapestry class. Learn more about classes here!

What Else is at Weave Together?

Along with three full days of weaving classes, there will be exciting speakers, a marketplace filled with weaving and fiber goodies, and lots of opportunities for community. You’ll be eating alongside your fellow attendees, allowing plenty of opportunity to make new weaving friends—including Handwoven and Little Looms editors. Instructors will stay and eat on-site, so even if you aren’t taking a class with a particular teacher, you can sit next to them at dinner and have a fantastic conversation. It really is a great opportunity to spend quality time with talented weavers.

Worried about logistics? We’ve got you covered! Attendees will stay at the beautiful Embassy Suites, and all meals and classes will take place there. Lodging and all meals are included in the ticket price.

Want to learn more about Weave Together 2026, the teachers and their classes, and what you can expect? You can find out everything and purchase your ticket here. Space is limited and classes are first-come, first-served, so don’t delay. I hope to see you in Colorado!

Happy Weaving,
Christina